Who Should I Start? Sterling Shepard or Austin Hooper

Thursday, November 23, 7:26 PM

New York Giants wide receivers Darius Slayton (neck) and Sterling Shepard (back) both practiced on Thursday. Slayton practiced in a limited capacity while Shepard was a full participant. Slayton caught four passes for 82 yards and one touchdown last week, putting him on the fantasy radar as a WR4. Shepard, on the other hand, lacks fantasy appealing heading into the Giants' Week 12 clash with the Patriots.

Wednesday, March 13, 12:18 AM

Las Vegas Raiders free-agent tight end Austin Hooper is expected to sign a one-year deal worth up to $4.25 million with the New England Patriots on Wednesday. The veteran tight end will reunite with new Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, who was with Hooper with the Cleveland Browns. Hooper made the Pro Bowl two straight years from 2018-19 while with the Atlanta Falcons, but he hasn't been nearly as involved as he was then in the last four seasons with the Browns, Titans and Raiders. In 17 games (nine starts) last year in Vegas, the 29-year-old caught just 25 of 31 targets for 234 yards and no touchdowns. With both Mike Gesicki and Pharaoh Brown now gone, Hooper figures to serve as New England's No. 2 TE behind Hunter Henry in 2024. Unless Henry gets hurt, Hooper is unlikely to have a significant enough role to warrant fantasy consideration in standard-sized leagues.